Attack on Indians cost Oz 400 mn

A steep drop of over USD 400 million has been recorded by Australia in the backdrop of attack on Indian students.

A steep drop of over USD 400 million has been recorded by Australia in the backdrop of attack on Indian students,crackdown on dodgy private colleges by the Government and the high currency value of Aussie dollar.

The apex university body Universities Australia confirmed that a forecast estimate of a 16 to 20 per cent drop in higher education visas had been realised,according to 8216;The Australian8217;.

8220;There has been a fall in offshore visa grants for higher education of 14,422 for the first nine months of this financial year to March 2010,compared with the same nine-month period a year earlier,8221; UA chief Glenn Withers said adding this was a 20 per cent drop from a base of 69,827 to 55,405.

Withers said the longer-term goals of the government were logical but transition arrangements were 8220;clearly in need of major improvement8221;.

8220;New policies to correct these past regulatory errors are now instead causing excessive retraction,8221; he said.

Meanwhile,there were reports that the country8217;s education and immigration authorities seems to be at clash over the new immigration rules being set for overseas students.

While Education Federal Department favoured a 8220;softer line8221; to build the troubled industry,the immigration ministry was for 8220;a tougher stance8221;,the report said quoting a source.

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It further cited that there were moves last week to appeal to Education Minister Julia Gillard to intervene with Immigration Minister Chris Evans over country8217;s USD 18.6 billion export education industry as unilateral interventions in its highly exposed business model.

However,another sources said any such move seemed futile as Gillard8217;s office 8220;has no intention of interfering8221; in Evans portfolio.

A spokeswoman for Gillard also commented that the two departments had 8220;a high level of co-ordination8221; between them.

Veteran University of NSW pro vice-chancellor Jennie Lang said Australia had to ensure that the skilled occupation list,which applied at the point of a student8217;s enrollment,carried through for the duration of study should they wish residency.

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8220;Students need certainty and,given the list will be changing annually,Australian universities will find themselves in a situation where students will apply for one-year masters-level programmes.

We will lose top undergraduate and higher degree by research students to other destinations,8221; Lang said.

Apart from this a peak international educators association also accused Immigration Department of 8220;serious bad faith8221; over its intention to create new powers for the minister to cap residency applications by former overseas students.

Dennis Murray said the education sector was 8220;doubly aggrieved8221; by Immigration Department proposal given it wasn8217;t raised at an industry consultation meeting in Canberra two weeks ago.